Mageia 7

Live images

GNOME

1) By default GNOME uses the Wayland display server. Wayland is still not fully mature, and may not work well on some hardware. Normally GNOME will automatically fall back to using the X.org display server if Wayland fails to start, but in some cases this fails to happen. If the GNOME desktop fails to launch after completing the initial language and locale selection, or if you experience display problems, you can try forcing GNOME to use the X.org display server by adding nowayland to the boot options in the initial boot menu (F6 if using legacy boot, 'e' if using UEFI boot).

2) By default the NetworkManager service is enabled in place of the old network management services. On the plus side, this means that the NetworkManager applet integrated into the GNOME desktop works; on the minus side it means that attempting to configure your network connection via the MCC does not work. Use the drop-down menu accessible from the top right corner of the GNOME desktop to perform any necessary network configuration. For wired connections, the network is usually configured automatically and you don't need to do anything. For wireless networks, you will usually need to select an access point and, if it is password-protected, enter the password.

Non-working graphics

Some graphics hardware does not work correctly when using the xorg.conf file that gets created by harddrake when booting the Live system. If you have no graphical display at the end of the boot cycle, try adding noxorgconf to the boot options in the initial boot menu (F6 if using legacy boot, 'e' if using UEFI boot).

Some NVIDIA graphics cards don't work at all with the free video driver (nouveau). In this case, try replacing xdriver=free with xdriver=modesetting in the boot options in the initial boot menu, or alternatively, try using the non-free (proprietary) drivers by selection directly in the boot menu.

Non-working wifi cards

Some wifi hardware from Broadcom is known not to work, because they only work with their proprietary driver which we because of licensing issues not can have pre-built on the isos, and it need be loaded at boot time. Once Mageia is installed you can configure the wifi and reboot.

Retaining a third party bootloader

If, during live install, you want to retain your existing third party bootloader, then, when you get the bootloader screen, proceed to the NEXT screen titled 'Mageia Live' where there is an 'Advanced' button below the 'Probe Foreign OS' option.

In this advanced section there is a checkbox labeled "Do not touch ESP or MBR". Checking this box will stop your current bootloader from being modified. You will then need to add Mageia to a bootloader yourself.
See also our draft Mageia 7 version of the Live install manual (Link to be updated when the final Mga7 version is available).

Classic installer images

Fighting buggy UEFI firmwares

There are some reports about that resetting to default UEFI settings may solve problems, while others such as Lenovo Yoga 720 needed some fiddling: Strangely after booting once in Legacy mode, back to UEFI settings and change back from legacy mode to UEFI and with secure boot disabled, both Live and Classic installed iso worked. Very similar to this experience.

Retaining an existing third party bootloader

If during installation of Mageia 7 you wish to avoid overwriting the MBR (PC-BIOS) or changing the default option in the UEFI nvram then at the 'Summary' screen you MUST enter the Bootloader section and then proceed to the NEXT screen titled 'BOOTLOADER CONFIGURATION' where there is an 'Advanced' button.

In this advanced section there is a checkbox labeled "Do not touch ESP or MBR". Checking this box will stop your current bootloader from being modified. You will then need to add Mageia to a bootloader yourself.
See also our draft Mageia 7 version of the installer manual (Link to be updated when the final Mga7 version is available).

Warning!
If you choose this option, add Mageia entry in Windows bootloader by Easybcd does not work because GRUB2 is not installed in one of your Linux partition.

Upgrade issues

General points

Ensure that your Mageia 6 system is fully up-to-date.

If you can, back it up e.g. using Partclone or Clonezilla so that you can restore it if necessary.

Use the Classic ISO appropriate to your architecture.

Advice for complex upgrades

Large or complex upgrades may fail "transactions failed" before finishing, notably citing package conflicts or missing dependencies. This is partly due to the upgrade proceeding as grouped transactions which depend on later ones; and also to the fact that most upgrade packages exist on the upgrade media, others in online media. The following notes should get you through. They are based on an upgrade from Mageia 5 with over 4600 packages. Heed 'general points' above.

Run the upgrade using the Mageia-7-[arch]-DVD.iso

Add supplemental media (ftp, http, other)

If|when Conflict is presented, when taken back to 'supplemental media'

DO NOT ADD any media, leave it set as None.

As long as the conflicting rpms ARE NOT included in the iso then the upgrade will now complete successfully.

After rebooting to Mga7 user will still need to install any rpms skipped
during the upgrade.

add Mga7 Mirror (don't forget to add 32-bit mirrors if you also had them active in Mageia 6 64-bit installation)

run 'urpmi --auto-select' and at y/n select n

Make note of the number of rpms which needed to be installed

run urpmi --auto-select --split-length (noted # of rpms)

all rpms should install and system is fully updated

Software issues

Plasma Applications

Oxygen Look And Feel Workspace Theme

Be aware that the Plasma Oxygen theme may demonstrate a memory leak when used with some Intel hardware graphic cards/drivers. While the exact cause is still being tracked down, when the problem does show up, it consumes all available memory, resulting in slowing performance as the swap fills up, followed by out of memory killing of processes in random order. The random killing of processes may result in
file corruption, depending on what what being written when the process was killed. Until the exact cause has been tracked down and fixed, the issue may be avoided by keeping the default breeze theme selected, instead of changing it to oxygen.

Cinnamon Applications

Cinnamon Desktop

Cinnamon requires *cinnamon-screensaver* to be added manually after install. choose another desktop at login (ie:IceWM-session) set up on-line media and add the *cinnamon-screensaver* package. logout, change to *Cinnamon* desktop and log in